Islam is a global faith with followers distributed across all regions, though the vast majority live in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Europe and the Americas. Here’s a concise picture of where Muslims are widely located and what that means for populations today. Direct answer
- Global distribution: Muslims are found on every continent, with the largest numbers in Asia and Africa. The world’s Muslim population is concentrated in South Asia (especially Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Southeast Asia (notably Indonesia and Malaysia), the Middle East and North Africa, and large communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are among the countries with the biggest Muslim populations, while several Muslim-majority countries exist across the Middle East and North Africa and in parts of West Africa.
Context and nuances
- Asia houses the largest share: Roughly two-thirds of Muslims live in the Asia-Pacific region, with a substantial minority in South and Southeast Asia, particularly in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Iran.
- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has a high density of Muslim-majority countries, though the region’s total Muslim population is smaller than Asia’s due to population size differences.
- Africa and Europe host significant Muslim communities: Sub-Saharan Africa has a sizable Muslim population, and Western Europe hosts large immigrant and descendant Muslim communities.
- Global growth drivers: Continued population growth in Muslim-majority regions, relatively young age structures, and migration contribute to the expanding visibility and size of Muslim communities worldwide.
Key takeaways by region
- South Asia: Large Muslim populations, with India and Pakistan among the top countries by Muslim numbers; many Muslims live as sizable minorities in these nations.
- Southeast Asia: Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, followed by other Muslim-majority or large-Muslim-population countries in the region (e.g., Malaysia, Brunei).
- MENA: High concentration of Muslims; Islam is the majority faith in most countries in the region.
- Africa: Notable Muslim communities across North, West, and East Africa; significant percentages in several countries.
- Americas and Europe: Growing Muslim communities due to migration and conversions; smaller but persistent presence in many countries.
If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific country or region, or provide a normalized chart of Muslim population by country with recent estimates.
